pimply
Americanadjective
Usage
What does pimply mean? Pimply means covered with or having a lot of pimples, which are small inflammations or swellings of the skin that may or may not be filled with pus. Pimples are caused by acne, a skin condition in which the skin’s sebaceous glands become clogged and inflamed. Pimples are most commonly found on the face, but they can appear on other areas of the skin, such as the neck and back. They are most common among teens and preteens due to changes in body chemistry during the period of development known as puberty, but adults can also get pimples. Pimply is most commonly used to describe the face of someone with acne, but it can also be used to describe things that are bumpy in appearance. Using it to describe a person is usually very rude and insensitive, though some people may apply it to themselves, such as when they’ve had a breakout (the sudden appearance of several pimples). The word pimpled can be used as a synonym of pimply. Example: My skin has been really pimply since I started taking this new medication—it must be a side effect.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pimply
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One pimply teenage boy named Oscar explained he didn’t have the resources to pay for a lawyer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2025
While many of my pimply peers slept in, I woke up at 6:30 a.m. on weekdays to watch Bismarck, North Dakota’s local NBC news broadcast, which would then segue into “Today.”
From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2025
So, not the product of a pimply teenager.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 17, 2022
For an adolescent, gossip was about currying favor, remaining on the inside of a group as a pimply teen terrified of being pushed outside.
From New York Times ● Jun. 29, 2021
The flesh on my neck and arms went pimply like I’d just climbed out of a cold bath.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
